Dispensing help please

[cheekymonkey]

Hi I am currently doing my NVQ 3 in dispensing. At the moment on a good week i make 7-8 mistakes during a week ...I really am trying very hard to change this and feel really low when i make these mistakes. i completed my NVQ 2 and began dispensing 10 months ago..
I have viewed on the site many ways to stop mistakes in dispensing occuring which i have begun using. Does anyone have any further suggestions or advice for me.
I really want to be a good dispenser but im afraid i am slogging a dead horse.. my current pharmacist seems to think so...

[howe928]

what sort of mistakes?

[cheekymonkey]

Wrong drug picked ,for instance atorvastatin 10 instead of 20 mg mainly or the right drug wrong mg... stupid mistakes that i really kick myself for...

[shoegal89]

Hi in my experience one mistake is one too many, but if you are really seroius about becoming a good dispenser TAKE YOUR TIME! especially reading and labeling the px. It wont kill the customer to wait a few minutes more, even though they are glaring at you and telling you to hurry up. If you ever get stuck and cant figure out which inhaler etc, is being prescribed ask the pharmacist. good luck x

[cornish girl]

Keep at it cheekymonkey, stop worrying and remember always dispense from the script not the label. Double check yourself before you hand to pharmacist for checking. It will get better.

[cheekymonkey]

Thank cornish girl .... I work in a busy pharmacy and im thinking of moving to a quieter one i am taking my time where everyone around me works very fast..

[howe928]

what is your dispensing technique and checking technique? the best way to solve this is to review your techniques

ever heard of cheese holes theory about preventing error?

basic technique is take your time while dispensing, for getting the medicine only dispensing, have a quick glance of the NAME, strength and FORM of medicine, take the script with you, read what medicine name again, go and find that shelf, spell check yourself before proceeding, now check what strength on the script, go and get that strength, correct dosage form e.g. capsule or tablet? then check quantity, before you put it in a dispensing basket, double check all these details, once satisfy, put it into the basket; if you got the chance to put label onto the box then you can double check this again, and if you got the honour to bag this up for patient after final check by pharmacist, check everything again (lots of assitants offer to bag medicines for pharmacists but they don't check against script - medicine name, strength, form and quantity, they just put boxes into bag, this give away the last chance a mistakes could be prevented before it reach a customer)

[howe928]

they are glaring at you and telling you to hurry up.

this is a distraction obviously as this put pressure on staff, their beady eyes increase their chance of getting a dispensing error medicines and they should be held responsible for that

[razorbladekisses]

Sometimes I find it helpful to say it out loud whilst checking what I've dispensed against the Rx e.g Atorvastatin 20mg tabs x 28

[howe928]

Sometimes I find it helpful to say it out loud whilst checking what I've dispensed against the Rx e.g Atorvastatin 20mg tabs x 28

yeah, head that before, not seen in practice though, unless one staff ask another: could you get me a box of Movelat Gel while you are up there please